5 Fashion Swaps To Do With Your Mom

Whether you grew up with a cool mom or not, chances are your mom’s got something vintage and amazing worth stealing in her closet. The nostalgic nature of fashion means that we’re always looking back, even as we’re looking forward — so if you keep stuff in your wardrobe long enough, eventually it’ll be cool again. Except electroclash. Let’s never collectively decide we should all wear neon again, mmkay?

It’s with that in mind, that we’ve decided to do a little closet raid. On our moms. We know she’s been keeping some cool stuff hostage back there, and that’s why we’ve created this handy guide for steal-worthy fashions from her glory days — and offering her something of yours in return.Swap: Your wedge booties for her ’80s pumps: Pointy toe, sex kitten-y pumps are back in a big way. Just ask the Man Repeller, or designers like Christian Louboutin or Alexander Wang. Your mom’s long been intimidated by your huge platform wedges, but she needen’t be. A swap would show her that wedges are actually super comfortable and easy to walk in.

Swap: Your skinny jeans for her ’70s bellbottoms: Skinny jeans are here to stay, sure, but why not switch things up with a pair of wide-as-heck ’70s bells she’s been hiding in the back of her closet? Bells — left long and worn over the shoe — lengthen your legs and give the body and ultra-feminine form by balancing out the hips and waist. As for mom, skinny jeans are a much needed replacement for the “classic cut” Gap jeans she’s been sporting since 1991.

Swap: Your pencil-thin eyebrows for thick, healthy brows: In the ’80s, your mom probably worshipped at the alter of Brooke Shields. And why not? Brooke’s thick, statement eyebrows were to die for. So with that in mind, we recommend you put down the tweezers and pick up a brow pencil. Your face will thank you for it.

Swap: Your grandpa cardigan for a power-suit jacket with shoulder pads: Redefine your figure by throwing away your shapeless sweater and trading it in for a jacket with strong shoulders. Your mom probably had a couple of these lying around, that she wore to fancy cocktail parties at the neighbors’ house. As for mom, she can belt your cardigan over a button down and jeans (the skinny ones, duh) and look, she’s almost hip!